fur loss in Mini Rex

Question
QUESTION: My daughters have been showing rabbits for about 2 years.  We bought a nice broken Mini Rex Buck and Grand Championed him last year.  We then bred him to a doe and got 2 babies. 1 doe and 1 buck.  We chose the buck from the litter and the doe owner kept the female.  They were born June 2, 2006 and all was great until about November 2006.  He began loosing hair on the sides and the back of his neck. We never noticed any scratching and no earmites or ear problems.  We initially assumed it was just a normal molt.  The hair loss got worse as the months went by.  We were told it could be ear mites and or fur mites.  We treated his ears with Eradamite and treated the bare spot (approximately 3" x 3" total area from under the chin to the shoulder blades) topically with ivermectin.  He also began getting sore hocks and sore front feet. The only scratching/itching that we noticed was that he began chewing on his front feet.  We have put him in a cage with a thick grass hay bedding to relieve his foot pain and began on Baytril 17mg per os every 12 hours.  The redness in the feet has subsided, but I just can't figure out why all this hair loss.  The big question also is that his sister is who is in another household is doing the same exact thing.  We as the owners are at a total loss as to what to do.  Can this be a genetic issue??  Are there any other causes such as vitamin deficiency, nutrition etc..  that we might not have thought of??  We feed 18% protein Pen Pals pellets, show bloom, and a oat/calf manna/sunflower seed mixture with free choice grass hay.  Please help.  We don't know what to do with them.

ANSWER: Hi Suzanne

I think I might actually have an answer for you as a breeder of mini rex and not an animal caregiver.  When I started raising mini rex I was given some awesome mini rex stock out of Doug King's and Armando Cabrera's line's.  The only stipulation was that I had to follow the rules and do what the top breeders suggested.  There are a few issues that I see here.

First you have obviously taken awesome care of your rabbits and not many big time breeders would take the time to nurse their rabbits back to health when they could just pick another one that meets the standard just as well.  What I learned in my 'mini rex school' is that they should absolutely never be fed food that has over 16% protein.  It damages their fur.  Since they are a fur breed I was told this was very important.  The breeder who I can't mention that gave me these generous gifts and I took the classes from actually uses the Pen Pals pellets but they are the 15% crude protein pellets and she says that she has never had a hair loss issue.  Now I don't know if its true but she swears that anything over 16% will cause them to lose their hair.  As an animal caregiver I would say it is absolutely hair mites of some sort.  Clearly you have already treated for that.

Show bloom has either 17 or 18% protein also.  I have a jug of it but its up in my barn so I can't check but I remember that I stopped using it on my mini rex after I got yelled at by this person.  I know that sunflower seeds can give a shiny coat but that is also not a desirable trait in the mini rex rabbit.  I use blue seal with 15% crude protein and unlimited hay.  I do use oats and calf manna in the winter time only.  It usually makes them gain a few ounces and I live in a very cold area.

If the person who has the sister is using the same feed as you, I would suggest that you both try a feed with 15% protein only.  If the hair grows back then you will know that is what it is.  I was told that the higher protein will put them into a state of continuos molt.

As for genetic defects, it could be but it sounds to me like it is more of a feed issue.  If you have their pedigree's and there is a huge amount of brother/sister breeding then I would be worried.  In-line breeding usually doesn't cause issues unless you are directly breeding brother's to sister's.

You also might read from other people about rabbits needing vegetables etc.  If you are using Pen Pals feed and these are obviously show rabbits you don't want to give them other stuff.  The Pen Pals feed is excellent feed and has everything they need.  If they were just pets you could throw in some safe veggies in here and there.  I do occasionally give my show rabbits a small piece of romaine lettuce here and there.  Really its better just to give them a handful of old fashioned oats and the calf manna to help shimmer up their coat.

Let me know if the change of diet helps.  In all the years I have been doing this I have never actually met anyone with mini rex who have lost hair from to much protein but it has been drilled into my head for so long that I believe others must have experienced along the way.

Thank you and Good luck to you

Pam

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Pam - this is not really a question, but a sincere THANKS!!  I have asked, and asked and asked anyone and everyone that I could think of and no one could give me an answer.  Rabbit medical/health books were no help either.  I went and bought Pen Pals 16% protein feed today.  That is the lowest they have.  We have already started changing his ration. The owner of my rabbits' sister has also done the same. I will let you know in a month or so how it is going. We are both doing everything possible to keep these excellent rabbits going, it's just such a shame to watch them both basically fall apart on us.  I can't thank you enough for your advise.
Suzanne

Answer
Ty Suzanne

Please let me know if it works.  I am really curious since it has been drilled into my head over the years.  If it doesn't work we will figure something else out.

The fur loss certainly isn't going to kill them in the meantime, it will just make them less desirable to show.  They can still breed since you have already determined it is not contagious.

Ty for the nice comments also.  We volunteer to do this and I never expect a thank you but it sure is nice to hear one now and again.

Sincerely

Pam